


How Catelyn Stark Met Her Daughter's Sudden Boyfriend (Literally)

by gardakuka



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Don't Judge Me, F/M, First Impressions, POV Catelyn Tully Stark, for fun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:54:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24934840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gardakuka/pseuds/gardakuka
Summary: Catelyn Tully Stark goes to King's Landing to spend some time with her beloved daughter. She spends some time with someone else instead.
Relationships: Sandor Clegane/Sansa Stark
Comments: 52
Kudos: 216





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> haha fingers on the keyboard go brrr
> 
> A silly one-shot which has two chapters. It had just appeared in my head and brrr.  
> I love a weird bromance between Catelyn and Sandor, what can you do to me, I'm in another country.

_Family. Duty. Honour._

Catelyn knew these words since she was a child. Some remote ancestor of her father had chosen them as his family motto, and Catelyn was always told to remember them. And strictly follow them, of course.

Catelyn sighed and adjusted her skirt. It was the warmest winter she ever saw, she didn’t even need to wear her beloved coat while being in Winterfell. And the forecast was showing an almost spring-like weather in King’s Landing, so Catelyn’s choice of outer garments was very simple. A long skirt and a dark-blue blouse. She wore her hair in a northern fashion, and in the reflection of a train’s window, Catelyn saw her long-lost mother instead of herself.

She sighed again and moved her glance to the bag she had with her. She was hoping to stay in the capital for the whole weekend, so she didn’t take too many clothes. The heaviness of the bag was solemnly caused by the amount of presents and home-made food she brought for Sansa.

She hadn’t seen her oldest daughter for more than four months, and for Catelyn that was a lot. Sansa didn’t get a chance to join everyone for Rickon’s eleventh birthday due to her busy schedule, and now she had to stay in King’s Landing for the Sevenmas as well. So Catelyn knew it was her _duty_ to visit her daughter, bring her everything she needed for the better life, and make sure she was doing well. 

She didn’t tell Sansa she was coming over. After all, Catelyn knew that Sansa was never against such spontaneous visits from her parents. More than that, she always welcomed her or Ned whenever they appeared at her door. The same went for Sansa’s sudden arrivals out of a clear blue sky, with her hands full of little presents for each member of her _family_. And when Robb moved out to live with his young wife in Lannisport, he started to do the same.

Catelyn knew that such behaviour wasn’t common among the others, but somehow it became their little tradition. And she was sure all members of her family liked those sudden visits, which served as an unspoken proof of loving relationships between the Starks. And Jon Snow, of course. And even Theon Greyjoy. Their family was very weird, but Catelyn didn't care.

A robotic voice announced they were approaching Harrenhal, and Catelyn yawned. It wasn’t a ladylike thing, but she didn't care. She was tired, and she wasn’t a lady. Maybe her ancestor’s wife was, the one’s who came up with a motto which stuck to every member of the Tully family for centuries. Catelyn checked her phone, quickly replying to Bran and her husband, and scrolled her social media feed. She smiled at Sansa’s photo of a freshly baked pastry and pressed the like button. Every one of her friends had to know how talented Catelyn’s children were.

Sansa always liked to share various small bits of her life on social media. From hand-made pastry to beautiful birds she met on her way home. Catelyn had no idea why she became so obsessed with them lately, but she liked every picture her daughter made. She was sure her daughter had a talent for photography ever since she got her hands on Ned’s old polaroid. And photography wasn’t the only thing Sansa was talented in. She played the piano, she was a very good singer, she was able to make clothes from a scratch, she could knit warm sweaters every one among her family and friends adored, she had some outstanding cooking skills. In Catelyn’s opinion, this was just the beginning of the list of things Sansa was good at. She had such mental lists for each of her children, even Jon and Theon got ones too.

The only thing which bothered Catelyn was the fact that Sansa was still single. She thought of it and frowned. No, not like this. The fact that Sansa didn’t have a _decent_ man by her side. After all, being single or not was every woman’s choice, Catelyn thought. She was raised differently and knew that her opinion would outrage even Lysa, but that was what Catelyn Stark thought. And she respected her children’s choices, was it Robb’s early marriage or Arya’s decision to stay single until she finds someone who could beat her in her favourite fighting game (that was how she ended up dating Robert Baratheon’s distant relative by the time she finished her first year in high school).

And Sansa’s choice was to find someone whom she could love endlessly, and who would return those feelings. That what she whispered Catelyn when she was eight, and Catelyn was sure that Sansa’s perspective on love still stayed the same. That’s why she was surprised when Sansa announced she was dating Joffrey Baratheon after her first week in King’s Landing High. Catelyn still remembered the Baratheon’s visit ages ago, when both Sansa and Joffrey were seven. Robert and his family visited Winterfell for a week and stayed in their house, and it wasn’t the best week in Catelyn’s life for sure. Starting with Cersei’s sour expression and ending with the _Great Tragedy of Rotten Prince Joffrey_. That was how the whole incident was called by Robb and Theon later on.

The story was simple, Joffrey decided he knew how to approach every animal and was bitten by Arya’s hamster. He ended up running away and crying into his mother’s skirt, and Cersei made a huge fuss, saying that both Arya’s and Sansa’s hamsters had to be put to sleep. She even called a vet to come to the Starks’ house, but in the end, both Ned and Robert calmed her down. No one saw Sansa’s pet after the whole mess though, and Sansa ended up crying for days. She told Catelyn how much she hated Joffrey and his mother, and Catelyn wasn’t able to disagree with her daughter.

And that was exactly why she was surprised to receive a text from Sansa in which she happily stated that she was dating Joffrey. Ned had to relocate to the capital for a year and he took Sansa and Bran with him, leaving Catelyn in Winterfell with the rest of their children. She wasn’t sure how to react to the sudden news. After all, it was up to Sansa to decide whom she wanted to date. On the other hand, Joffrey Baratheon was an heir to his father business, so from this perspective, the match between him and Sansa was a prominent one. It fitted in the whole Tully motto very well, but Catelyn simply wanted her daughter to be happy.

She pulled herself up and called Sansa in two weeks, to talk about her sudden relationship and maybe offer her any advice she needed. It was her first relationship, after all, and Catelyn knew how important it was for every girl. But as soon as her daughter picked up her phone, Catelyn learnt that she wasn’t dating Joffrey anymore. Sansa was almost crying, but she managed to tell her mother about how cruel and messed up Joffrey was. It didn’t surprise Catelyn, to be honest, she still remembered his hysterical behaviour when he was just a spoiled boy. She didn’t tell about it to Sansa though. Instead, she listened to her daughter, comforted her, and offered her some advice from her life. Maybe Catelyn didn’t have a large dating experience herself, she only briefly dated Ned’s older brother for a while before ending up with Ned himself, but still. She was a mother, and it was the mother’s duty to help her children with some wise words. Not that Catelyn complained about this particular duty.

Sansa had returned to Winterfell as soon as Ned was done with his job, and Catelyn was able to breathe a sigh of relief. She had her husband and her children back, and that was everything she needed. Sansa returned to the school she visited before leaving for the capital, and then decided to become a student of the Winterfell University as well.

That was where she met her second boyfriend. The one Catelyn detested. When Sansa brought that Harry Hardyng for a dinner, Catelyn knew instantly that he was full of… Well, that he wasn’t the right person for her daughter. He came from a wealthy family, he was a distant relative of Lysa’s husband (when Catelyn shared the news with her sister, Lysa went crazy over a prospect of Sansa marrying that Hardyng and stated that Catelyn had to give her blessings as soon as the first talk of a future marriage would appear), he was a handsome young man, but Catelyn didn’t like him.

Still, it was Sansa’s choice, and Catelyn had to accept it. She told her daughter she was there for her, and Sansa had often come to her mother for a piece of advice regarding her freshly blooming relationship. Catelyn even gave her a short, but important talk about sex. After all, Sansa was already eighteen, there was nothing strange she and that Harry would engage themselves in those activities. Catelyn wasn’t comfortable to approach that subject, but she had to be sure her beloved daughter won’t make any dull mistake which could regret. If Catelyn were her, she would definitely regret getting pregnant by that Harry.

Luckily, nothing had happened between the two of them, Sansa told her between her cries. She came home late and with her eyes full of tears, and Catelyn knew it was something about that Harry. She shooed Ned away and doted on Sansa, bringing her a warm plaid and her favourite cake with a cup of hot herbal tea. Sansa spent the whole night crying in her arms, but at least Catelyn was able to get a clear picture of what had happened between her daughter and her _bloody_ boyfriend.

Long story short, Sansa had found him in his bed with another girl from their University. Right on the day when she plucked up her courage to finally lose her virginity. Catelyn decided that in her list of jerks Harry Hardyng would take the lead, leaving both Joffrey and a reality show star Viserys Targaryen far behind.

Catelyn shook her head and noticed they were approaching the capital. Good, she was already tired of her journey. The high-speed train between Last Hearth and King’s Landing was a miracle for someone like Catelyn, who hated planes, but still, the journey was too long and too troublesome. At least Sansa was living quite close to the train station, it took Catelyn less than twenty minutes to walk there last time she was visiting her daughter.

Sansa moved to the capital as soon as she left her University. She had mentioned to her parents that she liked the capital, so it wasn’t a big surprise when Sansa announced she had found herself a job in King’s Landing. To be honest, Catelyn wasn’t really happy to be separated with Sansa once again, but her family motto insisted that the family was very important for every Tully descendant. So she accepted her daughter’s decision and promised to visit her in the capital whenever she finds a chance.

It was more than four years ago, and now Catelyn arrived in the capital for the ninth time already. She never stayed with Sansa for too long, respecting Sansa’s private life and the fact that even sudden visits could not always be welcomed. But Sansa never minded them, she said it was a very beautiful tradition none of her friends shared with their parents. Catelyn listened for the last robotic announcement and took her bag. The train was still moving, but she stood up anyway and walked in the direction of the doors.

More than four long years, and Sansa still wasn’t able to find the right man for herself. Catelyn sighed, brushing the long strands of the hair back from her forehead. She had heard from her daughter about some of her co-workers she found attractive, as well as about some men she met during her stay in King’s Landing and became friends with. But none of them became Sansa’s _boyfriend_ in the end, and Catelyn was utterly confused.

Her daughter became a true beauty, she thought. Sansa had the most delicate facial features, the bluest eyes, and the softest long hair, which were screaming Tully to everyone who had any interest in the history of Riverlands. She was so hard-working and so talented, she had so many hobbies and visited different places, and somehow she still was single. Catelyn simply couldn’t understand why none of the men was interested in her daughter.

Well, of course, some of them found her pretty and everything. Catelyn wrinkled her nose, remembering the way Petyr was ogling Sansa when he met her for the first time after her daughter came back from King’s Landing for Sevenmas. Maybe Petyr was her childhood friend, but there was no way she would let him even  _ look  _ at her daughter the way he did. It didn’t help that later on she caught Petyr helping Sansa to get the honey jar from the pantry with his hands too low on her waist. Catelyn was never so glad kicking someone out of her house, even if it meant she had to deal with Lysa’s heated protests for the rest of the family gathering.

King’s Landing welcomed her with a drizzle. Catelyn took out her umbrella and called a cab. She knew it would cost her extra, but at least she won’t catch a cold because of the pesky weather. The car stopped in front of the building where Sansa lived, and Catelyn noticed there was a light in her daughter’s living room. Good, at least she was at home. Catelyn still remembered the time she came to visit her daughter and found out that Sansa left the capital for a music festival. The sudden visits had their cons for sure.

After that incident, Sansa presented her a copy of her keys, but Catelyn didn’t want to use them. It was Sansa’s flat, and getting inside on her own meant entering Sansa’s private life without permission. Catelyn grew up in a family, where children didn’t have their own space, so she made sure every member of a Stark family had always had his place to spend some time alone when needed. 

Catelyn walked upstairs to the fourth floor where Sansa’s flat was located. The building was quite old and there was no elevator, but her daughter never complained about it. Besides, she said it helped her to stay in shape and reduce any fat she got from her beloved lemon cakes. Catelyn didn’t think Sansa could gain too much weight, but she laughed at her daughter’s joke anyway.

She stopped in front of the door and rang the bell. Catelyn heard a familiar sound of bare feet on the wooden floor, and in a second she was greeted by Sansa’s very surprised face.

“Mother!” she exclaimed, and Catelyn dragged her into a hug. Sansa returned it straight away, burying her face in Catelyn’s hair, but she noticed her body was a little bit tense. As if she wasn’t really glad to see her mother.

“I missed you so much, my little girl,” Catelyn whispered, caressing her daughter’s long hair, and Sansa relaxed in her hands a little bit. Catelyn smiled, her eyes lazily roaming around the narrow hallway.

And then she saw  _ them _ . A pair of  _ huge  _ shoes. They belonged to a man, and judging by their size it had to be a very  _ huge  _ man. Catelyn spent the biggest part of her life in a house full of men of all ages and physiques, she knew everything about shoes.

Catelyn blinked and realised there was a sound of running water coming from the tiny bathroom near the entrance. That explained Sansa’s tension for sure. Catelyn took a deep breath and broke their embrace.

“Um, mother,” Sansa bit her lip, lowering her eyes to the ground. Her cheeks were flaming red, and Catelyn knew it was exactly what she thought. Well, she didn’t flinch or cringe, like any other woman who was raised under the motto of an ancient house of Tully. After all, Sansa was a grown woman, she was able to do whatever she wanted. Except for something illegal, of course. Catelyn just hoped it wasn’t a meaningless one night stand.

Could it be that Brune guy from the marketing department Sansa had mentioned in her conversation recently? Or maybe she took her friend’s joke about dating her brother too close and ended up being together with an heir of Tyrell Inc? There were so many men Sansa told her about recently, there was no way she was dating all of them one after another, right? Catelyn felt a dull pain in her temples and put her huge bag on a floor.

She had no idea if it was wise for her to stay in Sansa’s flat when she had a man here. She could book herself a room in a local hotel, and then spend her time with Sansa on the following day, if her daughter didn’t have different plans. And then they could discuss their tradition of those sudden visits, which, as Catelyn found out, didn’t always work.

But before she could say anything, the bathroom door opened and Catelyn had to tilt her head to be able to look at the man her daughter was dating. Hopefully.

  
_Oh well_. That was not what she had ever expected from her delicate and gentle Sansa. Not at all.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if it isn't good, my head is a mess for the last couple of days.

The man’s name was Sandor and he really was an  _ intimidating _ person. More than two metres of height and a huge muscled body covered in tattoos here and there. His hair was black and long, their edges a little bit curly after the shower. He looked like a bad guy, and also reminded Catelyn of a famous rock singer she had a secret crush on during her high school years. She always wanted to be a little bit rebellious, which was quite hard while growing up in a Tully family.

He didn’t look like a person her dear daughter could date. If Catelyn knew anything about Sansa’s type, it was that she always fell for men around her age, who weren’t too tall and always had light hair. It worked in cases of Joffrey and Harry, it also was the same for some of her crushes Catelyn was aware of. And this Sandor was… Well, a polar opposite to the men Sansa was usually swooning over.

On the other hand, people naturally change. The last time Sansa gossiped with her mother about a man she liked was months ago. Catelyn thought it was during her second year in King’s Landing. And Sansa had changed a lot since then, so maybe there was nothing strange in the fact that Catelyn’s sweet daughter had abandoned the idea of having a handsome douchebag by her side and started to look towards some tall and dark-haired rebels.

She wasn’t sure about the whole character of this Sandor, but he  _ looked  _ like a rebel. Not that Catelyn was judging him. Sometimes people looked like tough members of the criminal gang, but were spending their free time helping the elderly people and feeding stray cats. She certainly needed to spend some time with her daughter’s… boyfriend?

Sansa was nervous when she introduced Catelyn and Sandor to each other, and she didn’t mention anything about their relationship status. As if she wasn’t sure of what to say. It meant that it was time for Catelyn to take the matter into her hands.

“Should we have some tea?” she offered graciously. Politeness was the main weapon of people from Riverlands, it was known. 

“A-alright,” Sansa nodded, looking a little bit uncomfortable. She was still wearing her thin bathrobe and Catelyn suspected there was nothing underneath it. Good thing she didn’t arrive at her daughter’s place half an hour earlier.

“I brought some pastry with me,” Catelyn nodded in the direction of her large bag. “Don’t worry, sweetheart, I will take care of everything, and you can take a shower meanwhile. And Sandor will help me in the kitchen, right?”

“Right,” Sansa said, but her tone was still unsure. She threw a glance in the direction of Sandor, who was shifting his weight from foot to foot. He looked uncomfortable as well, but Catelyn noticed it wasn’t because he was repulsed by the whole idea. It looked more as if he was kind of a shy man. Catelyn wasn’t surprised that a book didn’t match its cover. Or otherwise.

She went to the kitchen and Sandor followed her without saying any word. He took her large bag with him, though, and Catelyn made a mental note for herself about his manners. He was nothing like a well-taught Joffrey, who spent a huge part of his childhood learning how to be a gentleman. Joffrey turned out to be a spoiled brat, and Catelyn was highly doubting that this Sandor had a similar experience as Joffrey had, but at least he  _ knew _ his manners. Or whatever he called them.

The kitchen was looking the same as Catelyn remembered it from her last visit. Nothing was showing that another person was living with Sansa in the same flat. Catelyn bit her lip and looked around once again. Maybe she was wrong and it was better to look for another person’s presence in the bathroom.

She told Sandor to put on a kettle and proceed with the food containers she brought from Winterfell. Catelyn baked some pastries her daughter adored, including her most favourite lemon cake. Judging my a mischievous sparkle which appeared in Sandor’s eyes for a mere second, at least he was aware of Sansa’s love for this pastry. It was a good sign, Catelyn decided. It had to mean that Sandor wasn’t just her daughter’s one night stand. It would make things way more awkward.

Catelyn gave Sandor containers to put away and reached for the plate. She was eyeing him out of the corner of her eyes, trying to understand this man a little bit better. He wasn’t a talkative type, and Catelyn wondered if he acted the same with Sansa. Maybe he was simply nervous because of her sudden arrival, there was nothing strange in it. Catelyn hummed and took a huge mug from the drawer, placing it in front of Sandor.

“That’s Sansa’s,” he rasped, putting it aside.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Catelyn smiled, giving him another one, way smaller than the previous.

Of course she knew it was Sansa’s mug. Her daughter had developed a strange habit of drinking tea from huge mugs during her years at the University. Usually, Sansa would pour herself a lot of tea, take her sweets, and lock herself in her bedroom to study. Or maybe to spend some time on her stuff, Catelyn wasn’t sure. Somehow the habit didn’t disappear after she was finally done with her studies, and those huge mugs of various designs had followed Sansa from Winterfell to the capital. She always had just one of them in her kitchen, and Catelyn was pleasantly surprised to find out that Sandor was aware of the way Sansa preferred to had her tea.

It  _ definitely  _ meant they were together for some time. Catelyn just wanted to find out what type of relationship they had. Were they just some sort of friends with benefits? She wasn’t sure if this sort of a relationship would suit Sansa, but Catelyn wasn’t in a position to judge her daughter. Sansa was a grown woman with her own life, she could do anything she wanted. Even if Catelyn wanted to hope there was something more serious between her and this man.

Sandor helped her to pick the tea for everyone (it was hard for Catelyn to suppress her giggle when he chose a fruit-flavoured tea for himself, though she tried to stay calm), and then he even took an empty container and a knife from her and washed them without any extra word. He acted a little bit weird, but Catelyn wasn’t surprised. After all, Ned had almost set the whole kitchen on fire when he arrived at the Tully house and decided to impress his future father-in-law with his steak-cooking skills. And Ned was making the best steaks Catelyn ever tried in her life.

Sandor was feeling himself in this kitchen like a fish in water. Catelyn saw that it wasn’t his first time here and thought why Sansa didn’t even mention him in the conversations with her mother. Did she think that after Joffrey and Harry she might be repulsed by her choice of a man? Or was it about the scar Sandor had on his face?

Catelyn noticed it as soon as she faced Sandor in the hallway, but she didn’t focus on it. People had scars, it was known. Even Catelyn had a one on her stomach after her appendix was removed just a week before her wedding. She was really nervous about it and was crying for days after she woke up after surgery, but the scar was tiny and it didn’t make Ned stop adoring her. Sandor’s scar was bigger, it covered almost the whole left side of his face and chin. It probably was the main reason why he wasn’t wearing any facial hair, unlike the majority of men nowadays. Even Bran had announced recently that he was going to have a full beard. Catelyn thought it was a very stupid idea, but she didn’t stop her son. After all, it was time for him to start learning on his mistakes.

“So, Sandor,” she said to the man when he finally sat down. “How long you and Sansa are together?”

Catelyn saw that the question made him a little bit uncomfortable. His hands were trembling a little bit, she never saw such a huge man being nervous simply talking about his private life. Catelyn decided it was making Sandor adorable. Even though he would disagree with her choice of a word.

“For four months,” he finally rasped and Catelyn cocked an eyebrow. 

It meant they got together right after Sansa’s last visit to Winterfell. Catelyn wondered how it had happened, considering the fact her daughter didn’t mention any Sandor while spending her time with her family. And Catelyn knew very well how much Sansa liked to discuss her crushes.

“But we know each other for almost two years,” the man in front of her added and Catelyn almost gasped.

It was even stranger than she thought.

“That’s good to know,” she managed to say, drumming on the table with fingers. “But I’m actually surprised to learn it. Sansa never mentioned you in our conversations, nor she said anything about you two being… together.”

She was expecting any reaction from this Sandor, apart from a loud snort. And that was exactly what he did.

“Of course, she didn’t,” he shrugged. “She knew very well that you would be disappointed in her choice, you know.”

That was something new. There was an unfamiliar emotion in Sandor’s tone which made Catelyn wonder if he was truly hurt by just a prospect of being rejected by his girlfriend’s family. Especially by her mother. She didn’t know for sure, but it wasn’t a surprise he had those thoughts. Not so many mothers would gladly accept someone with his looks and tattoos and scar as their daughters’ potential boyfriend.

Or was he hurt by the thought she would judge Sansa for her choice? Catelyn wished she could read Sandor’s mind. She cleared her throat instead.

“And why should I be disappointed?” she asked him, tilting her head a little bit.

Sandor gave her a strange look, as if he was surprised by her words.

“Aren’t you always disappointed in any man Sansa decides to date?” he rasped, and Catelyn frowned.

_ Oh _ . Of course, she was disappointed in Joffrey and Harry. Both of them were handsome and from good families, and both of them treated Sansa horribly. There was no way she could support Sansa in her choice of a boyfriend back then. She was a mother and she wanted the better fate for her beloved daughter. Even though she had to accept her decisions through gritted teeth.

Sansa knew it. But it looked like she had completely misunderstood her mother’s intentions, and Catelyn sighed sadly.

“Tell me, Sandor,” she locked her fingers. “If you’d become a father…”

“I don’t think it’s possible,” he cut her with another loud snort. Catelyn saw he was trying to act indifferently, but his eyes betrayed him once again.

“Well, if you are looking forward to spending the rest of your life with Sansa, you  _ will  _ become a father one day, that’s for sure,” she answered with a smile. Sansa always dreamed of a big happy family when she was a little girl. Later on, she logically reduced the number of her potential children, but still, a happy family was something she wanted to have.

Catelyn wanted to believe that Sandor was able to grant her that wish.

“Who knows,” he grumbled and averted his eyes, taken aback by her words. Catelyn wondered if he ever considered a possibility of marrying her daughter in the future. She decided to take his reaction as a _yes_.

“So, let me return to the subject,” she smiled again. “Tell me, Sandor, if you and Sansa had a daughter who brought home a  _ bad  _ person, would you be happy with her choice?”

  
“Define _bad_ ,” Sandor crossed hands on his chest. With his looks and efforts to look like a total _asshole_ , Catelyn wouldn’t be surprised if he took her words too personally. Luckily, she was about to prove him wrong.

“The one who would cheat on your daughter, for example,” she cleared her throat. “Or mock her for her looks or habits. Or act like a total jerk while simply talking to your daughter. Would you accept your daughter’s decision?”

“As if,” Sandor grunted. “Sorry for my language, but I’d kick his ass as soon as I learnt about him.”

“Here’s your answer,” Catelyn shrugged. “Unfortunately, as a lady, I can only express my disappointment. No _ass-kicking_ , you know.”

Sandor didn’t reply. He looked at her, chewing his upper lip, and Catelyn noticed he was thinking about something. Most probably he wanted to make sure she wasn’t thinking of him as of one of those  _ jerks _ .

  
“Were,” he stopped as if re-thinking his question once again. “Were Sansa’s exes _that_ bad to her?”

Catelyn sighed. It wasn’t a question she expected, but he liked that Sandor was concerned about her daughter. She was a little bit surprised that Sansa didn’t tell him everything, but knowing her sweet daughter, she probably didn’t want her boyfriend to think too much about her previous relationships.

Which meant Sansa  _ cared _ for him. If Catelyn knew anything about her daughter, it had to mean it.

“They were,” she said with another sigh. “Luckily, Sansa is a smart girl. One mistake from their side, and they weren’t her boyfriends anymore. Not that they even deserved a woman like Sansa, to be honest.”

“Good,” there was a huge relief in Sandor’s voice. He fell silent once again, his gaze lowered to his mug of tea.

Catelyn knew he wanted to ask her something else, but it looked like he was unsure of his own words. She could easily help him with some guiding questions, but in the end, she decided not to push him. If he needed time, she was here to wait. After all, they had the whole afternoon for it.

He probably had his doubts about being _good enough_ for Sansa in her mother’s eyes. Of course, Catelyn needed way more time to understand Sandor and fully accept him as her daughter’s boyfriend. Especially because the first time she met was right after he and Sansa had _sex_. She was more than sure of it. Catelyn adjusted her skirt and decided not to be a prude. It was all about Sansa’s choices and decisions, right?

But he definitely wasn't a bad person in Catelyn's own definition. And Sansa _cared_ for him, and that was everything Catelyn needed to know to fully embrace Sandor as her daughter's boyfriend. And, maybe, as her potential _son-in-law_. She imagined Lysa's terrified expression after hearing about the prospect of someone who looked like Sandor joining their _ancient and noble_ family line, and giggled. Unfortunately, her sister had a habit of judging people by their looks, not actions. Too bad for her, Catelyn thought, making a mental note for herself to invite Sansa and Sandor for their next big family gathering.

“I love her,” Sandor suddenly said. “I mean, I really love her. She just doesn’t know about it.”

_That_ was exactly not what she expected to hear. But Catelyn smiled at his words. She was sure Sansa was aware of Sandor’s feeling. After all, the water in the bathroom wasn’t running for good five minutes and there was no familiar sound of her bare feet on the wooden floor in the direction of her bedroom.

“I think she loves you too,” Catelyn reached out her hand and squeezed Sandor’s wrist. “And she will tell you about her feelings very soon, right?”

Sandor made a confused growl, but Catelyn was sure her words reached her daughter. Maybe it wasn’t very fair to get involved in the private life of your child in such a way, but a little push from a loving mother couldn’t hurt nobody. That was she learnt from being a Tully.

She decided to spend time before Sansa’s appearance in the kitchen on getting to know Sandor better. She asked him about his family (he didn’t say much, just mentioned that he was all alone now, but the pain in his stare stopped Catelyn from asking any extra questions on the subject), about his work (surprisingly enough, Sandor was working in the King’s Landing High, teaching IT), and about his life (and learnt that Sandor had adopted a stray cat and two dogs, which meant he would easily find a common ground with the rest of her children).

When Sansa shyly swam into the kitchen wearing her jeans and a t-shirt with an unfamiliar logo on it, Catelyn welcomed her with a warm smile and said that everything was ready for them to have their lunch. Her daughter seated herself next to Sandor, and Catelyn noted how close she wanted to be to her boyfriend. She never acted like this when she was bringing Harry to the Stark house, acting like a proper young lady. She was feeling freer with Sandor, and Catelyn thought it wasn’t a bad thing.

She was still a little bit tense, though. Sandor, on the other hand, managed to relax, and Catelyn hoped that his example would help Sansa to feel herself better in her mother’s presence. Catelyn wanted her to know that she was here to support her, not to judge. She never judged Sansa before, only her stupid boyfriends. And Sandor was way better than any man Sansa dated or mentioned to her. Maybe Catelyn was too precipitate in her assumptions, but that was what she hoped she was right.

She spent the whole afternoon watching Sandor being the most attentive and supporting boyfriend Sansa ever had, Catelyn knew she had to be right. Anyway, she had to talk to Sansa about this man and their relationship, but it could wait until tomorrow.

Speaking about tomorrow. When they were done with the tea and pastry and Sansa said she and Sandor will take care of the empty plates, Catelyn sighed and unlocked her phone. She was glad to see her daughter, and she was pleasantly surprised by a nice man by her side, but there was no way she would stay overnight in Sansa’s flat. There was no way she would be happy to learn even  _ more  _ about her daughter’s private life, she already knew _enough_.

She found a cosy hotel two streets down and booked herself a room. _Good_.  Catelyn knew that Sansa would try to object her mother’s decision and ask her to stay, but it was better this way.

Maybe her old ancestors from the Tully family would decide that she had gone mad with all those acceptances and decisions, but Catelyn didn’t care. She wanted to see her daughter happy, and it was exactly what the first two parts of her family motto were about. And who needed that so-called _honour_ if it meant that her sweet Sansa wouldn’t get a chance to spend her life with the man she loved?

Somehow Catelyn was sure their relationship would end with a wedding. She was a happily married woman and a mother, after all. There was no way she could be wrong.


End file.
